"I think only God's unconditional love has kept me on this earth," he says. "Without that, I would have killed myself by now."

"I hope that God will someday give me the strength to find a stable home and family," he adds.

Taylor now participates in Alcoholics Anonymous and says he is staying sober one day at a time.

He was eager to refute the popular conception of the homeless. Each person, he says, has a specific story and a specific reason for their condition--including him.

"A lot of people see the homeless as lazy, that they don't want to work," he says. "I tried to get into the work field, but I have a police record from making bad decisions while under the influence of alcohol."

Taylor remains hopeful for his future.

"What I'd really like to do," he says, "is help other homeless people if I could, but I have to help myself first."